


Painting the Roses Red

by PeppermintGlow



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-25 04:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6180190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeppermintGlow/pseuds/PeppermintGlow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jeonghan is roped into being Mingyu's bodyguard at school. Mingyu must dodge the attempts on his life, but Jeonghan's task is far more difficult. He has to sit through high school.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The world: an introduction

Men are born under planets, stars, moons. Based upon this, they give themselves signs deducing their personalities.

But some men are born under curses. These curses are categorized.

Sign of the White: Clairvoyance  
Pro: an ability to foresee possible future outcomes  
Expense: reduced or no eyesight

Sign of the Black: Witchcraft  
Pro: an ability to manipulate surroundings with spells, curses and potions  
Expense: no soul or love

Sign of the Red: Vampirism  
Pro: enhanced strength and senses, eternal life  
Expense: must drink blood to survive, cannot step out in daylight

  
  
Sign of the Blue: Werewolves  
Pro: can shape-shift into a wolf, prone to extreme old age, always in packs  
Expense: emotional, aggressive, have cycles

  
  
Sign of the Green: Merfolk  
Pro: extreme strength and agility, extraordinarily beautiful  
Expense: prone to losing their souls, cannot step out of water

  
  
Sign of the Yellow: Kitsune  
Pro: ability to handle, breathe, create and manipulate fire  
Expense: tend to shape-shift into nine-tailed foxes

  
  
Sign of the Pink: Succubae   
Pro: extreme beauty, strength, hypnotism  
Expense: anti-social, kind of arrogant, way too lusty for their own good

  
  
Sign of the Grey: the Fallen  
Pro: the ability to wield great power and influence, ability to bring about disaster or calm it  
Expense: got kicked out of Heaven for Fucking Shit Up™

  
Sign of the Purple: Xana  
Pro: extreme beauty, the mysterious ability to use magic  
Expense: prone to alcoholism, mischievous, deceitful

 


	2. Rough Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A normal night out to Wonwoo's Place brings about a few problems.

The nights were the easiest. Easier to maintain than the days were. Sitting around, unable to sleep, unable to die, unable to leave the house – was pure torture. Once it was dark out, no matter the weather, it was like breathing in relief. The streets weren’t occupied tonight like they usually were – monsoon season had set in, the streets flooded with rain trickling down. The young man just shrugged deeper into his trench coat, digging his fists further into his pockets.

_Wonwoo’s Place_ was on the third story: below it lived a man called Aron who sold marijuana and owned three cats, and below that there was a convenience store. The place itself though, was bigger than it looked on the outside, and had lately become like home.

The bar to the left, pool tables and seating to the right, interior done up in dark purples and deep forest greens, low lighting – it was the perfect place for those who weren’t quite up to the normal human standard.

He shrugged out of his trench coat, hanging it up in the corner before sitting at the empty bar.

Soonyoung slowly made his way over, drying a glass. “Welcome back, handsome. What can I get you?”

“A sense of purpose in life, my own coven, my human memories back, a genuine feeling of belonging, a lover who won’t disappear with the sun and a rum and coke.”

The barman grinned, setting down the glass. “Rum and coke I can do. Not so sure about the other stuff. But I’ll keep a look-out for you.”

“Thanks.”

Hoshi served the man his drink: the longer the night reeled on the more crowded the bar became: it was a regular favourite for those who were not _quite_ so untainted as human society wanted them to be, a cesspool of the dead, the dying and their killers.

“So, what’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?” The smooth talker sidled up, motioning for a beer.

The young man took a deep breath. “Drinking.” He took another sip of his drink.

“I can see that. Are you here with anybody?”

“Just Captain Morgan here,” he answered, swirling the glass in his hand a little.

“Want to go _home_ with somebody?”

Jeonghan finally turned: the young man was tall and handsome enough, but he wore the type of smirk that Jeonghan knew wasn’t going to last longer than a drunken tumble in bed and while there were times that that was _precisely_ what he was looking for, tonight wasn’t one of them.

“I’m good, thanks.”

Unfortunately, this was how most of Jeonghan’s encounters went: people swarmed to him for his looks, expecting a cheap tumble in bed and a farewell with no attachments, but that wasn’t how Jeonghan wanted to live anymore. He was tired of being treated like a dishrag. It was one love, or no love. He didn’t mind abstaining from pleasures in life if it meant attaining company that lasted more than twenty-four hours.

“Well, let me know if you change your mind.”

_Fat chance._

Thirty minutes and a few drinks later somebody walked up to the bar and took a seat beside Jeonghan, ordering a shot.

He was tall but broad-shouldered, formidable enough in his blue suit: a mature face with fascinatingly dark eyes stood out under blue-dyed hair styled off his face. Kind of handsome, too. Sleek, sharp features that were almost fox-like, from his perfect eyebrows to the sharp corners of his mouth. He smelled good, too – the regular scents, but with a whiff of something fruity. Apple?

None of Jeonghan’s business, anyway.

But he couldn’t help a little eavesdropping.

“Well, well, well. Kim Mingyu, up in Wonwoo’s place. And without the clowns – what a _delight_.” A flicker of a glance proved the new speaker was thick, strong, and flunked by four others. “What happened this time, boy? Get kicked out for causing _trouble for daddy?_ ”

“Leave me alone,” Mingyu muttered in answer, turning back to his drink.

“Hey now kid.” The big guy gripped his shoulder, pulling him back. “You really gonna talk to me like that?”

Jeonghan was no hero, but he knew what was about to happen. The young handsome guy was about to get his ass kicked, and that was just a waste of a pretty face.

“Listen, leave me alone. I haven’t done anything to you so-”

Before he even knew it, Jeonghan’s hand went out to arrest a titanium baseball bat mid-air. The look he shot the men as he downed the last of his drink was deadly. “Hey. Leave the man alone. He’s just here for a drink.”

“Hey, how about you _back off_ princess, before I ram this bat right down your neck.”

Jeonghan flexed his fingers. The titanium bat crunched, giving way like paper under his fingers. “You wanna keep talking, punk?”

The man holding the bat winced a little. “Boss…”

“What? Look at him. He’s just a little girl wanting to play with the big, bad men.” The main honcho – the thick one with tattoos up his arms – rolled up his sleeves in the most sickeningly pathetic display of machoism. “Take him down.”

The bat was soon transferred to Jeonghan’s hands: it served, even crumpled, to crack one man’s head open: another received a swift kick to the stomach and got his head smashed against the bar. One enjoyed two of a barstool’s legs through his stomach and the fourth simply got his head twisted, breaking his neck.

Jeonghan gripped the ringleader by his greasy ponytail, kicking him in the calf, making him go down like a baby. “Who needs to back off now? _Princess_?”

“Yah, Jeonghan, if you’re gonna beat up some punks at least take out the trash,” Soonyoung called from the bar. Even though the joint was packed with people staring at him in shock, Soonyoung just sounded bored. “I’m tired of picking them up after you.”

Jeonghan turned to the door – ponytail still in hand – to discover there were a hoard of men in the doorway, and had been for some time. At first it seemed as though cavalry had arrived, until one of them stepped forward.

“If you’ll allow us, we’d be more than happy to dispose of the waste.”

“Be my guest.” Jeonghan released the greasy ponytail, instantly ducking behind the bar to wash his hands.

One of the men – a small short one – walked over to the man in the blue suit. “Can you, maybe, not make my job so difficult?”

“Is my father here?”

“No, he had a meeting.”

The man in the blue suit was very obviously relieved.

There was so more talk while Jeonghan doused himself in disinfectant before drying his hands and returning to his seat.

“Uh – sir! Thanks. For uh, stepping in.”

“No problem.” Jeonghan plunked a few notes on the bar, sliding them over to Soonyoung. “You looked like you could use the help.”

“You’re… very… skilled,” the short one said slowly. “…what’s your sign?”

“…Libra?”

“Nice try.”

Jeonghan sighed, crossing his arms. “Red. You?”

“Sign of the White. Mingyu’s a-”

“You’re a vampyre too?” The man in the blue suit sprang up, a happy expression plastered on his face. “Wow, that’s so cool! I didn’t think I’d meet one outside of school!”

Jeonghan cocked a brow. “School?”

“I go to Pledis High.”

“Pledis… _High._ ”

“Mingyu looks old for his age,” the short man muttered.

“I’m seventeen!”

Jeonghan sighed deeply. He’d reckoned the boy in his twenties, at least. “Under aged drinking. In this establishment.”

“By far not the worst thing in this establishment.” Mingyu turned to his short friend. “I want him.”

The short guy rocked from the balls of his feet to the heel and back a few times. “Please, Mingyu, tell me you don’t mean what I think you mean.”

“Why not?”

“He’s a stranger.”

“He’s a blood sucker, just like the rest of us.” Jeonghan winced at that. “And obviously he’s got skills. I want him.”

“Want him for what?” Jeonghan asked.

The short guy sighed and looked up at Jeonghan. “Listen, you have to come with us.” Now, slowly, two men were coming up behind him.

Jeonghan took a step back. “No I don’t.”

The short guy snapped his fingers. “Jun,” he commanded in a low voice.

For a moment all there were in Jeonghan’s world were two beautiful, sharp, deep brown eyes. “Sleep,” a voice commanded – one so beautiful it demanded attention, and strong enough to warrant obedience. “Sleep now.”

Within seconds, he was on the floor.

 


	3. House of Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeonghan is taken captive.

He woke with a jolt, but it was stunted: either arm cuffed to his chair prevented him from moving too much. He could have broken them, but there was a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, and for no strange reason.

On the table stood a clear glass pitcher and an empty glass, and nothing more.

_Holy water._

It was a warning, obviously: the sight of the pitcher made him still in his chair, leaning back, thinking. Holy water was a sign. It meant something. That the people who had taken him were not to be taken lightly. That they were serious people.

A door behind him opened, heavy steps bringing a figure forward. He was a tall, broad-shouldered, slightly heavy set figure in a dark suit, and didn’t mind showing off a little red-eyed glow, either. He took his seat in the chair on the other side of the table and smiled, folding his hands.

A few moments of awkward silence passed.

“So you’re the one that saved my son.”

Jeonghan decided not to answer that.

“You have my gratitude. He’s a hot-headed kid and doesn’t always think before getting himself into trouble. Although… even when he does think, he’ll still get himself into trouble.”

There was more silence in which Jeonghan was expected to speak – he didn’t.

“See, Jeonghan – that’s your name isn’t it? Jeonghan? See Jeonghan, in my world, there are all kinds of different people.” The man leaned forward to pick up the pitcher, slowly drizzling water into the glass. “And none of them really ignore me, or my wishes. I always… get what I want.” He picked up the glass, swirling the contents a little with a smile. “Interesting, isn’t it? All the things our kind can do, signs of the Red, and yet one little gulp of water could burn us from the inside out. Such an inoffensive little glass of water.”

Jeonghan waited – indignant, frustrated – but he waited.

“My son’s been having some trouble at school.”

_Do I look like a maths tutor to you?_

“I wanted to give him a set of bodyguards – some of them you’ve already met, hmm – but he refused around the clock surveillance. I guess I can understand that – he wants a normal student life, and who am I to get in the way of my first son’s high school experience? So I told him, choose _one_. And unfortunately, he chose _you_.”

Jeonghan’s jaws locked.

“So you see, now I have a dilemma. He’s my eldest son, I don’t want to deny him anything his heart may desire. So I want to hire you to be a bodyguard. But I have a feeling you’re not going to cooperate with an old father’s wish.”

The look in Jeonghan’s eyes said enough.

“So now _you_ have a dilemma. There’s two options as I see it. You can sit here in this room and go mad with thirst until you’re so delusional you drink this water and put yourself out of your misery, or you can accept my offer. Believe me, I pay my hire well.”

“…there’s a third option you haven’t considered.”

He put the glass down, leaning in. “And what would that be?”

“I bust out of these cuffs, kill you in cold blood and break my way out of here.”

“What, you think everything in this room hasn’t had the fuck hexed out of it?” He sat back and smiled. “You think I would let a vampyre remain in an unsafe room? No. Unless that door opens you’re not going anywhere.”

There was a brief standoff of glares while Jeonghan considered his situation.

“…bodyguard,” he repeated slowly.

“It wouldn’t be much, really. Walk with him to classes and beat up anybody who wants to hurt my little boy. From what I hear, you’re an exceptional talent in combat.”

“I was trained well,” Jeonghan automatically reacted. He closed his eyes. “Babysitting for some brat isn’t exactly how I thought I’d be spending my days of eternity, but it seems I’m left with little choice.”

“I’m so glad you see it that way.”

It didn’t take long for the contract to be brought – as per usual, Jeonghan had to seal it with a drop of blood. Signing your name didn’t mean _anything_ in the underworld, but blood? Blood was an oath above all others.

“Congratulations,” the tall vampyre grinned, shaking Jeonghan’s hand. “You are now officially a high guard of the Kim clan.”

Everything suddenly clicked into place. They were the _mafia_ , one of the nine families. Now everything made sense.

It didn’t change his position much. A quick bodyguard duty should be fun, just until the kid is out of high school. He got paid a sinful sum. And again – it wasn’t as if he had a _choice_. But there were worse choices he could have been offered.

He was led out of what seemed to be a basement complex to the main floor of a mansion, and guided outside to a black unmarked car. The short guy was there – the sun was on the rise, and with a little more light, it was easier to see him.

He was _adorable_. His little face was round and soft, skin pale, eyes wide and sparkling a little, even when they were unfocused. Even blind, he was a cute boy.

“So, you took the job?”

“Hard not to when the alternative is death.”

“In the car.” The two got into the back of the vehicle, but only the clairvoyant bothered with a seatbelt. “Don’t be too upset. Mingyu’s a good kid.”

“He’s _seventeen_ ,” Jeonghan winced. “Barely mature.”

“How old are _you_?”

“Over seven hundred years or so.”

“…that’s a slight age gap,” the little clairvoyant said. “Now, listen closely.” He dropped a thick file in Jeonghan’s lap with accuracy. “Jeonghan attends Pledis High, the boarding school for the Signs of the Nine. He’s not the only kid from one of the Nine Houses, so you should be watchful of the others.”

Jeonghan flipped the file open and went to the _Nine Houses_ tab immediately.

“The first is Hong Joshua. He’s a succubus, so watch your back. He and Mingyu seem to be pretty tight though, so we don’t expect too much trouble from him.” The clairvoyant waited for Jeonghan to flip over the page. “The next is Lee Seokmin, Sign of the Blue. He’s his father’s second son, and he’s touchy about it, so try not to provoke him.”

“He’s good-looking.”

“Is he?”

“Yeah. Damn.” Jeonghan flipped the page with a light scowl.

The clairvoyant stopped pretending to be able to see. “That’s Boo Seungkwan. He’s a kitsune. A sassy one.”

“What a little cutie,” Jeonghan grinned at the picture. “I could just pop him in my pocket.”

“Well, don’t tell _him_ that. He’s sixteen and he’s _not_ adorable when he opens his mouth, so don’t give him the chance to be sarcastic.” He threw over a withering look. “Seriously. Don’t go there. I don’t want to have to listen to Diva Boo go on at lunch.”

“You’ll be there too?”

“Jun and I both, yes. We’ll be team two if anything happens.”

“Huh.”

“The last two are the Chois.” Jeonghan flipped the page. “And before you tell me, yes, I already know they’re really handsome. Everybody always says that.”

Jeonghan had to admit, they were two _extremely_ good-looking young men.

“They’re both of the Ninth House. Do not trust them. They are sneaky and they _will_ hurt Mingyu if they see an opportunity. But they won’t be so obvious about it.”

“The younger one-”

“Hansol. He’s less malicious than his brother. I think.”

“You think?”

“Hard to know. He’s ditzy though.”

“The brother, then?”

“Seungcheol. His father’s… well, let’s just say that if I were you I wouldn’t drop words like _world domination_. Just in case they get any ideas.”

Jeonghan snorted a little. “Right.”

“Other than that, Pledis High keeps many students from all signs. Your priority is Kim Mingyu. If he’s harmed, the boss will give us… problems.”

“This isn’t the first time I’ve been a body guard.”

“It isn’t?”

“I know what I’m doing,” Jeonghan merely muttered, looking out of the tinted window, closing the file.

They drove in silence for a few moments.

“I’m Jihoon, by the way.”

“Jeonghan.”

“You’re very pretty for a guy.”

“How can you tell?”

“Clairvoyance isn’t _always_ blurry. You look like a girl.”

“Well you look like a dwarf hedgehog so how about we cut the crap,” Jeonghan grumped back, opening his file. Reading through it was bound to be better than getting insults to his face. “Jihoon?”

“Yes?”

“…why does this file include a _high school card_ and a _dormitory key_?”

“How do you expect to guard him undercover without enrolling as a student?”

“Do I look like a high school kid to you?” It took him a moment. “Oh, right. Uh. Well. I’ve got eternal youth, but I don’t look _that_ young.”

Jihoon suddenly grinned, showing sharp incisors. “There’s a uniform, too. It’s sign-specific. I hope you look good in red.”

Jeonghan did _not_ look good in red.

They were going to the school _per direct_ – it was a good thing Jeonghan didn’t have anything to wrap up back home. Though it _was_ a pity about the beer in the fridge.

The estate was huge, and it looked like the grounds stretched on, on all sides: the drive was laid with gravel that crunched with satisfaction as the car moved up around the great fountain and into a large garage.

Once they were safely out of sunlight, Jihoon popped out of his side of the car, giving the door a hard slam: Jeonghan stepped out of the other side, closing his door with a little more decorum. He whistled lowly, letting the sound echo as he turned. “Large garage.”

“A lot of the students have a car here.”

“Nice.”

The driver stepped out of the car, too – Jeonghan instantly folded his arms, though he couldn’t really be angry. “So, you’re the one that put me to sleep.”

The succubus named Jun smirked, the narrow features on his face turning up at the razor-sharp corners. “Sorry, I was under orders.”

“Well, next time, belay those orders.”

“Sorry, handsome.” Jun winked once, making Jeonghan’s stomach flutter. “No can do.”

“Is anybody going to help the blind guy back to the dorms or what?” Jihoon was already half-way up the garage, apparently needing little to no help at all: regardless, Jun and Jeonghan made headway with considerably longer legs to job up to him.

The garage led up to plenty of hallways: they were forced to take a maze route due to the blazing sun. It was uncomfortable enough for Jeonghan, just being near sunlight. Eventually the hallways turned from a nondescript beige colour to dark red until they stopped.

Jihoon rapped on the door loudly. “Yo, Mingyu. Get your butt up.”

“Dude I just went to bed,” came a sleepy answer.

“Get your ass up young man or so help me God.”

Jeonghan raised his eyebrows a little. He hadn’t imagined anybody speaking like that to the heir of the House of Red.

Eventually though the door opened: it was the same boy from Wonwoo’s place, just now in slacks and a t-shirt. He saw Jeonghan once and smiled sleepily. “Oh, handsome, you’re here.”

“Why does everybody suddenly have a pet name for me?”

Mingyu gripped Jeonghan’s wrist and pulled him in – it wasn’t until Jeonghan looked down at the thick leather band around his wrist that he remembered he was _still_ in the clothes he wore to Wonwoo’s place. Not the most appropriate attire for a prestigious school.

“He’s mine now. Thanks guys.”

“Night.”

Mingyu simply slammed the door shut and pulled Jeonghan over to a small bunk bed, pulling him down onto the mattress.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“You’re my bodyguard now, right?” Mingyu asked sleepily. His expression was kind of cute. “You have to protect me. Bed time. Sleep. Protect my body.”

Jeonghan would have pulled away – wanted to – but Mingyu had gripped his arms around Jeonghan like a boa constrictor, and pulling off might hurt the boy. And did Jeonghan really want to face the wrath of the House of Red?

No, not really.

Mingyu – this young vampyre boy – was pretty damn tall, and pretty damn strong. But even though his muscles were constricting, his face looked… well, almost _pretty_. It was peaceful, slack-jawed and simply without worries.

How long could this kind of peace last? Jeonghan’s own eyes slowly fluttered closed from exhaustion. _How long until this little boy finds out how much pain there is in life?_


	4. Smoker's Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeonghan and Mingyu have a dorm mate. He's a cutiepie.

Somehow, Jeonghan woke up first: the sun was slipping past the horizon, throwing a single golden beam across the ceiling from where there was a gap in the taped-up window. By the shade of it, he could tell that night was not far-off at all.

Mingyu’s arms were still gripping him, but there was a soft bump behind him: slowly he managed to wriggle in the tight circle of his new protégé’s arms until he could see the rest of the room. Across from Mingyu’s bunkbed, against the other wall, was another set just like it: a boy awkwardly tumbled out of the bottom bunk, a perplexed look on his face when he landed on his butt.

Jeonghan grinned a little. _Cute._ The boy had a puffy face with an innocent expression plastered over it.

“Who are you?” he whispered in the dark.

“Name’s Jeonghan. You?”

“Minghao.”

“Hi, Minghao.”

“Hi, Jeonghan. Are… are you _with_ Mingyu?”

Jeonghan cringed a little. “No, I’m-”

“You shouldn’t be in the red dorms!” Minghao whispered urgently. “If matron finds you, there’s an ass-whooping in it for all of us. A Fallen with a vampyre? Are you crazy?”

“I’m not a Fallen,” Jeonghan whispered back. “I’m of the Red, just like you.”

“…what, really?” The boy crawled over to stare hard.

“Haven’t drank anything in a while,” Jeonghan smiled apologetically: the red in his eyes would be a little dim.

“Oh, then you must be our new dorm mate. Hi. Want to go down and grab breakfast together?”

“Can’t.” Jeonghan grinned, patting Mingyu’s hands. “I’m locked in.”

Minghao made a vaguely disapproving sound with his tongue. “Well, you can’t break Kim Mingyu’s arm, I guess.”

“Not unless I want to die. I could shout until he wakes up though.”

“Oh, great. Mingyu in the mornings.”

“That bad?”

“It’s not _fun_ ,” Minghao reasoned. “He curses a lot when he wakes up.”

Jeonghan raised a single eyebrow, but didn’t comment further on that.

“I’ll bring you a bag up though, if you want me to.”

“Could you?”

“Sure. What’s your preference? I like blood type A positive when it’s cold and a little gelatinous.”

“Ew,” Jeonghan cringed. “I’m more of a hot blood type, myself. O whatever. And if at all possible, smoker’s blood.”

“I’ll see what they have.”

Once the boy was dressed and gone, Jeonghan turned again: Mingyu’s face was still just as sweet and peaceful as it had been last night, unperturbed by any nightmares.

Then Jeonghan realized _he_ hadn’t had any nightmares either. And all that without vodka.

“You,” he told the sleeping boy next to him, “scared off my nightmares. Ain’t that something.”

Minghao returned before Mingyu ever woke up: Jeonghan shuffled around again, accepting the bag. “They didn’t have a special section for smoker’s blood, but this one smelled pretty close.”

“Thanks,” Jeonghan told him, opening the top of the blood bag. The liquid was at room temperature – a little cooler than he preferred, but it wasn’t like he had any necks to crack open and drink from directly, either. And it wasn’t a smoker’s blood, either, but somebody who had lived with smokers: the faint trace of tar in the blood was enough to satiate the vampyre for now.

Minghao slurped his own blood bag loudly, lounging in his bunk bed until the empty plastic was discarded in the bin. It was the sound of a young vampyre who had a really good life. Jeonghan’s own meal was far quieter, a habit remembered from a life which had long passed.

“Mingyu hung your uniform up in the closet,” Minghao said conversationally.

“That’s nice. Wish I could move.”

“I’m going to take a shower. You… wake him up.”

_Great. Wake up the first son of the greatest mafia lord vampyres have known in a solid century. No biggie._

Jeonghan twirled again, patting Mingyu’s shoulder awkwardly. “Uh, yoohoo. Wakey-wakey.” Soon it became obvious something stronger was necessary. “Mingyu.” He shook his shoulder hard. “Mingyu! Wake up!”

The vampyre opened his eyes slowly. “Whaaaaat…”

“It’s already seven. You missed breakfast.”

Mingyu groaned before opening his eyes again in surprise. “Oh, right, Jeonghan, you’re here. I forgot.” And to Jeonghan’s surprise, he was _pulled in closer_ while Mingyu buried his face in his chest. “Hi. Thanks for taking the job. You’re so cool.”

“…you’re clingy in the mornings.”

“I’m always clingy around hot guys,” Mingyu mumbled, smirking up at his new bodyguard. “Minghao?”

“Bathroom.”

“Hmm, then I can snuggle some more.”

“Hey, get off.” Jeonghan pulled Mingyu’s arms off him and rolled away to stand up, stretching his limbs. “Listen, kid, I did you a solid back at Wonwoo’s place, but I didn’t expect to get roped into being a babysitter for some punk still in school, okay?”

Mingyu rubbed sleep from his eyes, his lower lip already jutting out slightly when Jeonghan turned his back on him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not your snuggle buddy. I don’t want to be here, so make it easy on me, okay? Don’t be so damn clingy. I’m only around for when somebody takes a swing at you, I don’t really care for you otherwise. Got that?”

Jeonghan turned around to find Mingyu with his pillow pressed up against his chest and chin, hiding behind it, face a bit pink, expression forlorn. “Do… do you not _like_ me?” he asked in a brittle voice.

_Oh shit, if I make this kid cry, I’ll never hear the end of it._

Jeonghan quickly sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to hit his head off the top bunk. “No, no, sorry, I didn’t mean it that way.” _Yes, yes I really did._ “Sorry, I’m cranky when I wake up. Heyyy…” The boy had now ducked entirely behind the pillow. “Aw, please don’t cry.”

“You can leave if you like,” Mingyu offered, his voice already almost breaking. “I-I won’t hold it against you. I understand.” A sniff. “Door’s right there. You can go if you really want to.”

“No, I don’t want to go,” Jeonghan cooed. _Yes, I really want to go, but if I do your tiny clairvoyant and his friend the hypnotist will just drag me back._ He stroked Mingyu’s hair a little, using his softest voice. “Please come out from there?”

The boy shook his head.

“Aw come on. Show me your face? Please?” Jeonghan smiled kindly. “Hey… it’s okay.”

Mingyu poked out from behind the pillow, looking up from one eye, the other still hidden. “You really won’t go?”

“I won’t go.” _Pity, huh._

“Promise?”

Jeonghan almost sighed. “Promise.”

Mingyu smiled a little, putting the pillow down with a little sniffle. “Thank you.”

“Now, something about… a uniform?” The long-haired vampire tried desperately not to cringe.

 

* * *

 

“Well? Do you like it?”

“There are definitely worse things I’ve worn,” Jeonghan told his protégé, turning in the mirror. _That was a lie. I’ve never worn anything this hideous before in my life._

In all fairness, Jeonghan wasn’t being fair. It was not that the uniform was less than perfectly handsome, it was that he was forced to wear it.

The basic spine of the uniform was the same for all students: crisp white button-up shirt, black waistcoat, black pants: ties and blazer jackets were indicative of signs. Being of the Red, Jeonghan’s blazer was a deep, smooth burgundy red colour, and the tie was striped black and red to match. The vampyre gently turned up the cuffs on the blazer jacket first before adding the white shirt cuffs until both were turned up a third of the way.

“On Fridays we get to wear our own clothes. It’s no-uniform day on Fridays.” Mingyu was flashing a similar outfit, except his tie was a little looser. “But we still try to incorporate our colours, just so we don’t get mistaken for anything else.”

“Ahuh.”

Minghao came in with his _second_ bag of blood – after his shower he’d sped out, thirsty, and it made Jeonghan wonder where he could be putting it all.

“Whoa, shit.”

Mingyu grinned. “He looks good, right?”

“…you might not want to let Jun see him like this.”

“I mightn’t?”

“Damn, you’re fine.” Minghao was still staring, dripping blood off his chin. “Are you _sure_ you’re not a fallen angel?”

Jeonghan hissed a little. “You want me to rip your throat open as proof?”

“Okay there,” Mingyu chuckled, holding up his hands. “No need to get violent. Listen we need to go down for breakfast.”

“I already drank.”

“I haven’t.”

“Can we smoke in the cafeteria?”

“…yes?”

“Thank God.” Jeonghan gripped a packet of cigarettes out of his discarded jeans’ pocket and clapped Mingyu on the back. “Okay, let’s go.”


End file.
